If we accept that it is important to have a philosophy on how we coach, then we require checkpoints or feedback on how our philosophy is being implemented. In a team sport there are two major components to a coaching philosophy that are important to reinforce. The first is how you want the game to be played. In essence this is the game plan and team rules that dictate your style of play. The second is your values or core beliefs that determine how you communicate your message to your players.
Reinforcing Your Style of Play
A crucial aspect of coaching is selling your game plan to your players. The players must believe that the way you want them to play will bring them success as individuals and as a team.
One tool that can be invaluable in promoting your message is the use of video. If you are a first year coach then you may show vision of successful sides in reinforcing the manner in which you want the game played. If you have a history with your team then you can highlight the times that they have played well and identify what was successful for them in these moments. For those coaches who have access to vision of their matches then a video review on a weekly basis is an excellent way of reinforcing your style of play. Positive reinforcement when your players get results from sticking to the team structures is the best way to encourage them to reproduce the behavior. At the same time the video may be used to show how they can do something better. This then becomes a valuable learning tool. Remember to keep these reviews succinct and meaningful to ensure that the points made are remembered. You may even involve your players in presenting aspects of the review to give them some ownership of the plan (if it fits your philosophy and values).
Most sports people respond best to teaching that involves ‘doing’ or performing an action. This is why the way you plan your training sessions becomes so important to teaching your players the style of play required. Whilst we could direct a separate article to the importance of your training sessions, it is important that the following principles are applied:
- Your training sessions must be well planned so you gain maximum benefit from your time with your players.
- The training drills you design must reflect the way you want the game played.
- Your training sessions must emulate match conditions as much as possible.
- Your players must be continually exposed to the type of decision-making they confront in a game.
- You must use this training opportunity to teach players how they can do things better and provide positive reinforcement when required.
- Review the success of your training sessions in achieving your goals. This provides you with the springboard to plan future sessions.
If you are able to maintain these basic principles then these sessions present the best opportunities to ensure your style of play is implemented. The biggest trap to avoid is to employ drills simply because your own coach used them on you. That doesn’t mean you can’t use them but make sure that they fit the game plan that you are trying to promote.
Whilst it may not be an issue we give a lot of thought to, the language that we use can be a powerful tool in reinforcing a coaches’ philosophy. Both the words that we speak and the tone in which they are applied can help a coach sell his message. This became evident to me in my time as an assistant coach at the Kangaroos Football Club. I was fortunate to be involved in the transition from the Denis Pagan style of football to the one that Dean Laidley was trying to promote. It was a dramatic change in game styles but one of the tools that Dean employed to make the transformation was language. The coaching group was instructed to use certain key phrases when teaching the players. I was the only member of the coaching staff that had been involved in the previous regime, so for me it became a very conscious effort to alter my language. In doing so I saw the effect that this new language had in changing the players’ mindset. Dean Laidley’s terms such as ‘pendulum’, ‘1/4 back’ and ‘off the line’ became instrumental in the teaching of his philosophies. The players responded well to the new phrases and to the manner in which they were delivered. They came to appreciate the value of the new language in differentiating the two styles of play.
A principle that most experienced coaches understand is to keep the instructions to their players brief and to the point. When selling a message it is unwise to clutter our players minds with too many instructions at once. Therefore on the day of the game, or indeed at training, we must emphasize only a few key points if we are to have any effect. We must decide what are the most important areas that need to be communicated. Your discussions will, in essence, provide reinforcement of how you want the game played. An attacking coach may emphasize the ball movement patterns whilst a defensive coach may concentrate on how to restrict the opposition’s opportunities. Whatever the emphasis you make at these times, it should be a reflection of your coaching philosophies.
A large component of a coaching philosophy is the core values that you wish to employ in your day to day dealings with your players. For example, a coach may have honesty as a core belief. Regular feedback and player ownership could be the values another coach espouses. Whatever the principles you adopt, it is important to review your progress in these key areas. Too often coaches believe they are a certain type of coach but are perceived differently by those around them. I encourage all coaches to write down their key values and to regularly evaluate their performances in these areas. As the evaluation is often subjective, it may be appropriate to call upon others to help you with this task.
Assistant coaches can be a terrific resource of feedback if you have developed a strong relationship with them. They work with you on a regular basis and are in a strong position to see how you go about your role. If you have worked to develop a position of trust with your assistants then they may be comfortable in evaluating your performance in your key values.
A different point of referral could be an elder statesman of your sport or someone who you have been able to develop a close relationship with. The use of this ‘mentor’ can give you an outlet away from your inner circle at the club to discuss better ways of doing things. Through these open discussions with your respected friend you may develop a system to review your performance as a coach. If your discussions are consistent and honest then you may have found a productive resource for self-improvement.
Some of the best feedback that a coach can receive is from their players. I annually review my performance in the core areas of my philosophy by asking my players their opinions via an anonymous survey. The anonymity enables the players to feel free to provide you with an honest evaluation without fear of retribution. If the survey is well constructed you will often receive valuable information on the way you are perceived by your players. This data can then be compared to see if they are consistent with the values that you have developed in your philosophy.
Some of the core values that are important in your football philosophy can sometimes be measured. Think through each value and see if there is a manner in which you can set up system checks for that value. For example, one of your values may be regular communication with each of your players. This may be measured by keeping a record of each time that you have a thorough conversation with a player. A simple spreadsheet format can provide you with instant feedback on whether you have kept up a dialogue with each player. Tools such as these can be invaluable.
Conclusion
It is essential for a coach who has developed a philosophy to spend some time considering how that philosophy is reinforced. The coach must develop an information loop that provides a system of continual feedback and improvement. Is the coach’s message getting through? Is the coach communicating in a manner that is productive? In order to objectively answer these questions coach’s require a range of resources that can provide them with consistent and honest feedback. With this framework in place a coach is well on the way to improving his/her performances as a coach.
Paul Hamilton is currently an assistant coach with the Adelaide Crows. Prior to that he was an assistant with the North Melbourne Kangaroos. He has successfully coached his own teams at state league level in 3 states.
This article was written as part of the requirement for the level 3 coaching course
